SaberCat commits to OU

By Michael Kinney
The Norman Transcript

July 09, 2009 12:42 am

— It didn’t take Julian Wilson long to make up his mind. A few weeks after getting scholarship offers from Florida and Oklahoma, the Southmoore rising senior has chosen to remain close to home.
Tuesday, Wilson announced he will be attending Oklahoma upon graduating from Southmoore. He chose the Sooners over a host of schools, including the Florida, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas and several others.
Despite the multitude of offers, it didn’t surprise Wilson’s coach OU came out on top.
“When you grow up in this area, you are usually a Sooner fan or you are not,” Southmoore coach Chris Jensen said. “He’s liked Oklahoma. He appreciates the attention they have given him recently. He wants to be close to family. Close to home. And a chance to play for championships was huge on his list. “
Wilson (6-foot-2, 180-pounds) could have played out the recruiting process much longer. Many players keep the process running until very close to national signing day.
“I think Julian was mature enough to handle the recruiting process even if he didn’t make this decision early,” Jensen said. “I’m happy he’s made this decision. I love for our kids to stay close to home when they have the opportunity.”
Wilson’s high school career consists of one year at the varsity level. As a sophomore he sat the Westmoore bench. It wasn’t until he transferred to Southmoore, a first-year school, that he saw action and became a starter. Only then did Wilson realize he might have a high-level future at the next level.
Last season, Wilson accounted for only 21 catches, 265 yards and three touchdowns. His numbers dropped when quarterback Kendal Thompson was injured in the middle of the season. Still, he may be a defender in college. As a defensive back, he made 43 tackles and broke up six passes. He was a top-five finisher in both the 100 and 200 meters at last May’s Class 6A track and field meet.
“He has a great deal of potential,” Jensen said. “He has a lot of raw talent. He’s just now starting to realize what he has. We could see that. I know in track we saw a big change in Julian … He realized what kind of potential he had on the track. We’ve seen that transfer itself to the field in spring football, team camp and now the passing league. He’s turned his game up.”